Big 9 Athletic Conference (NCSL Division 1)
The Big 9 Athletic Conference was a former NCSL Division 1 Conference centered around the Northeast and Midwest regions of the United States. The conference lasted from 1980-2015. The Conference was headquartered at the former 9 Tower in New Haven, CT. When the conference folded, it put an end to the 'Big' conferences in NCSL division 1. Former Members Dutchland University Staten Island, New York -------------------- Nova University Schenectady, New York -------------------- Saint Thomas University Yonkers, New York -------------------- Buchanan University Fairmont, West Virginia -------------------- University of Sterling Sterling, Illinois -------------------- University of Eastern America Boston, Massachusetts -------------------- University of Poughkeepsie Poughkeepsie, New York -------------------- William Livingston University Brick Township, New Jersey -------------------- University of Washington Washington, DC -------------------- Glen Allen University Glen Allen, Virginia -------------------- Steuben State University Steubensville, Ohio ------------------- Commonwealth University Carlisle, Pennsylvania ------------------- University of Newport News Newport News, Virginia ------------------- History In 1979, Athletic Directors from Dutchland, William Livingston, Poughkeepsie, Eastern America, Nova, and Saint Thomas (NY) would come together to discuss the formation of a new athletic conference based in lower New England and the Mid-Atlantic Region. With this meeting, the foundation for the Big 9 would be set up. In need of more members, they would invite Buchanan, Commonwealth, and Washington. With this line up of teams, they would come up with the name Big 9. They would play the 1980 season, before they would begin looking for more members. Shortly before 1981, they would announce that Glen Allen, Newport News, and Steuben State had joined the Conference. Shortly after, Sterling would announce its membership into the conference, increasing the number to 13. The conference would quickly become one of the most competitive in sports such as basketball, baseball, and Football, with several of their teams winning national titles. Along with that, by the 1986 season, they had became one of the top five most profitable conferences in D-I. By 1990, the conference has officially earned the honor of being a major conference. In 1991, the only commissioner in the conferences short history, David Ingram, would retire, leading to Alice McDonald to take the position. During her first year as head of the conference, the conferences profit would fall by 10%, leading to her firing. Her replacement would be the former Athletic Director at Nova University, Shaun Weinstein would take over. He would quickly replace the stabillity of the conference, establishing a steady stream of profit, as well as several other programs and things that would increase the well being of the conference. He would establish the Big 9 Football conference championship game, and move the basketball conference tournament from the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut, to Madison Square Garden in New York City. This would greatly increase the publicity of the conference, putting their players and teams on the national spotlight. On top of that, basketball would quickly become the conferences most important sport. From 1995 (When the conference started playing at Madison Square Garden), until Shaun Weinsteins retirement in 2009, their basketball teams would win six national titles. In 2009, Shaun Weinstein would retire. His replacement would be the Athletic Director at Rhode Island State, Andy Bushong would take over. During his tenure, the conference would continue to prosper. = Fixing Scandal In early 2015, it was found out that between 2009-2015, that the conference had ordered the fixing of several key games in favor of teams that would improve the conferences position in rankings and national tournament standings. Almost the entire head office of the conference was in on the scandal, as well as several refs. Andy Bushong was found to have played a key role in the scandal. In response to the scandal, the NCSL ordered the firing of the entire head office, taking over the conference itself. The scandal would result in the conference, and all of its institutions to lose key sponsorships, leading to a large loss of money. By June, the conference was in deep debt, do to the loss of these sponsorships, as well as harsh penalties from the NCSL, witch included payments to teams that were targeted, as well as several others. In August, the Athletic Directors of Sterling, Steuben State, Nova, and Commonwealth would announce that they would be leaving the conference. They would soon be followed on the last day of August by William Livingston, Eastern America, Dutchland, Poughkeepsie, and Glen Allen. With the loss of a majority of their members, the conference would lose more money, leading to further debt. By early October, the NCSL had decided to fold the conference, leading to the last members -Buchanan, Newport News, Washington, and Saint Thomas- to leave. National Titles Basketball: 1997 Washington 2000 Dutchland 2001 Commonwealth 2003 Commonwealth 2006 Sterling 2009 Newport News 2011 Buchanan